Red Flag Warning Issued For Increased Wildfire Potential

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning Tuesday alerting to increased potential for rapidly spreading wildfires in light of climate conditions.

The potential for fires is especially acute in the Texas Hill Country region, but also portions of East Austin.

A combination of gusty north winds, relative humidity values falling into the teens and rapidly drying grassland and brush are among the dynamics enhancing the chances of wildfires, NWS officials wrote in their advisory.

The warning is in effect through Tuesday afternoon.

Wind gusts of up to 35 mph further fan the possibility for wildfires to ignite. As humidity falls to near 15 percent or lower through 5 p.m., that risk is enhanced, officials noted.

Pflugerville fire officials just this week responded to a small brush fire in East Austin, KXAN-TV reports. In a recent profile of the Pflugerville Fire Department, the news station outlined the various ways firefighters there prepare for the threat of wildfires.

The department recently graduated the most recruits in a single class in modern history, bringing to 85 the number of firefighters in its ranks.

National Geographic magazine offers some very good tips on how to avoid sparking a wildfire. Read the magazine’s primer here.